All Change
by TheDailyKnight
Summary: Merthur slash, AU, Chronology ignored, Adult content. When Merlin and Arthur have their fun, Merlin gets over excited and his magic transfers to Arthur. Will he be able to get it back and how will Arthur cope with it? Note that I do not own Merlin or Arthur. No infrigement of rights is meant by this story.


**All Change**

"Arthur!"

"Merlin!"

"Your sword!"

"What?"

"M-move it. It's... too close!"

There was a clatter heard only by the owls as Arthur knocked his sword away from Merlin's arm, leaned back over him without breaking his rhythm and watched him tip his head back, biting his bottom lip hard. His eyes screwed closed and his back arched, showing off his lithe, pale body in the moonlight. He was close. Arthur eased off.

"Not yet, my young sorcerer, not yet," he murmured into Merlin's ear, nibbling the lobe as he slowed his hips and adjusted Merlin's feet on his shoulders.

Merlin let out a pleading whine, which was stifled by a deep kiss. It moved teasingly to his neck as Arthur pushed in with deeper, slow strokes. He glistened in the moonlight, the thin layer of sweat over his naked body catching the rays.

"P-please..." whined Merlin as he writhed beneath his Prince.

"Patience, Merlin," replied Arthur, a devilish grin on his face. "It's not a race. I want you to be my masterpiece."

He pushed forward at Merlin's favourite angle, causing a loud groan of pleasure to echo around the clearing. He knew Merlin was close, but he didn't want to finish yet. He loved the feeling of power and lust he experienced when Merlin was crying to the heavens. If there was a God, he reflected momentarily, then he must have surely had to plug his ears tonight. Merlin was in fine vocal form.

"Oh... sh...sh... shiiit."

Merlin bit his lower lip and arched his back as Arthur found his most intimate, sensitive spot and pushed against it gently, stroking it, nudging it, never allowing it to get used to the sensation.

Merlin opened his eyes, his breathing ragged, his fingers clawed tightly into his Prince's back. Arthur would have some marks there in the morning, but he hardly cared. He'd endured far worse than Merlin in a horny mood. Now his lover's eyes were golden. He felt himself become even more aroused.

It had been several months since Merlin had made the mistake with the scrubbing brush that had allowed Arthur to glimpse his magic and, ultimately, become his lover. In that time, he had learned two major things about Merlin; that he was humble in his power and that his eyes only ever glowed of their own accord when he was very, very aroused. As if to confirm which, Merlin tightened his ankles around the back of Arthur's neck.

He was spasming inside now, not just outside. Arthur could feel it. He closed his eyes and revelled in the sensation. It was an intense feeling of torment that Arthur knew he was creating inside his lover. Sooner or later the dam would break and the God who Merlin was addressing his exhortations to wouldn't just need to have his ears blocked to ignore the noise, but would preferably have to move to the next galaxy. Even that might not be far enough to escape the noises Merlin was beginning to make.

He thrashed around as Arthur increased his pace a little, then slowed, then sped up again, always tormenting, never allowing him over the edge.

"H-harder," gasped Merlin as their gazes locked.

His eyes were a brilliant gold now, his breathing ragged and shallow, and a commanding edge came into his voice that Arthur loved.

"Please..." pleaded Merlin as Arthur changed position slightly to obtain more depth. "Please, take me like a knight."

Arthur chuckled, leaned down and kissed him. As his tongue slipped into Merlin's mouth and they began their own personal sword fight, he lowered his hand to his lover's hips, found the weapon he was looking for and began to stroke it. As he did so, the strong muscles of a knight kicked in at hip height and he held Merlin tightly as he powered into him, giving him his wish.

Harder and harder he went, revelling in Merlin's pleasure, until his knees started to ache on the hard ground. Without stopping for more than a few moments, he picked Merlin up, let him slide his legs around his the top of his hips, and pressed his back to the smooth bark of a nearby tree. Merlin wrapped his arms tightly around the back of his neck as they kissed ever deeper, his body shuddering as his climax approached.

It happened to Arthur first and Merlin kissed and sucked the side of his neck. He staggered slightly as orgasm flooded his loins and carried his mind skyward. He was never very noisy, Merlin had discovered. He grunted and shuddered more often than he shouted out, but his O-face was always a pleasure to see. What loudness he didn't make in the bedroom he more than made up for in the intensity of his expression. Watching it tipped Merlin over the edge.

He bucked hard in Arthur's arms as the last of Arthur's orgasm faded and he panted, listening and watching as Merlin's senses, voice and lack of any self control shot skywards. His lover's eyes glowed brilliantly. Then, suddenly, his world plunged into darkness.

He wondered, for a brief second, what the hell had just happened. It was like coming around from a deep sleep. In the darkness behind his closed eyelids, he mentally checked himself. Two legs, two arms, one head, all fingers, all toes, nothing broken. Bruising factor: Likely, but mild. Embarrassment factor: Higher than the castle's towers. But there was something else. He couldn't put a finger on it, but it felt strange. It was as if something else were inside him, fighting to get out. It wasn't physical, but... he couldn't work it out. He decided, just for the moment, to lie still and see if he could discover what it was.

Near him, something stirred and groaned.

Merlin came around behind the safety of his eyelids. He too did a mental check and found everything satisfactory, except...

He sat up quickly in a panic, opened his eyes and stared around the moonlit clearing. What the hell? He was overcome with a deep sense of loss, as if something about him had been cut away.

Experimentally, he pointed a finger at a nearby log and spoke the spell to summon it to him. It didn't move an inch. It didn't even twitch. In a rising panic, he tried again and then again with several more spells that he knew he could cast with one hand tied behind his back. None of them worked. Then, amidst his rising panic, he noticed Arthur lying on his back ten feet away, his limp but sizeable manhood dangling down between his legs. The sight of it made the situation seem even worse. Arthur would never leave himself looking so vulnerable by choice.

He hurried over to where Arthur lay and raised his head gently from the ground. Arthur opened his eyes and stared up groggily. As his vision swam back into focus, the stunned face of Merlin was the first thing he saw. He frowned. His manservant looked even paler than usual and had started to tremble. Besides that, the other noticeably odd thing was that his eyes itched. He tried to rub them, but Merlin gently lowered his hands away.

"D-don't worry," he said as Arthur gingerly sat up. "It's normal. It will fade. Just don't rub them or you'll make it worse."

"Did I get something in my eyes?" asked Arthur as he dazedly looked around himself. He definitely didn't feel normal.

"It's always like that when your eyes... well, when your eyes glow," said Merlin.

Arthur stared at him, bewildered.

"But how could my eyes glow?" he asked. "I'd have... to... have... Oh, shit!"

"Exactly," replied Merlin. "I don't have my powers at all."

"Something must have happened when we... finished. Hang on, I finished before you and was ok. It was only when you... I can't remember you finishing."

"I... I remember hitting my high, feeling a release like I've never felt before. You did amazingly, really. I just... let go. I was flying so high, but then... yes, it comes back to me now. Then, when I hit the peak I couldn't control myself and... and then I felt drained staring at you and then... nothing. I must have blacked out."

"So your magic must somehow have jumped into me, is that what you're saying?"

"I... I guess so."

"I have to see my father to discuss treaties tomorrow. What if it comes out then?"

"I... I don't know. Just try not to get emotional, it will make it worse."

"Have you ever tried not getting emotional when the King starts with some of his ideas? It's bloody hard, Merlin."

Merlin grinned.

"I thought you liked hard things?"

"Merlin, be serious, would you?"

"Ok, fine, I'll be serious. Don't worry about it, don't get wound up and don't point at anything too sharply. If you follow that advice you should be fine. I'll try to figure out what happened and how it can be fixed. I'd like my magic back at some point too, you know. I feel naked without it."

"We should be getting back to the castle," sighed Arthur, pulling on his clothes. "If we don't, we'll never get any sleep tonight. Things may look better in the morning."

"I doubt your bruises will," replied Merlin as he pulled his clothes on and straightened them out as best he could.

"Nobody will notice them," replied Arthur as they walked together out of the clearing and through the forest. "They're hidden."

"Yes... Except for the one on your neck."

Arthur's hand flew to the side of his neck and he felt the warmth of the skin beneath his fingers.

"Merlin, how many times do I have to tell you? You can do what you like but don't suck my neck!"

"I didn't, you were lying heavily on it when I found you!"

"But that's what it will look like!"

"So I get respect for something I didn't do," replied Merlin happily. "That suits me fine."

"It doesn't me," grumbled Arthur as they emerged from the tree line and made their way across the meadow towards Camelot, a few miles ahead.

"Well, okay, how about this. I stay here for a while so that you can enter the castle on your own, then I'll follow on once you're in bed. That way you have an excuse that you haven't been near me if anybody asks."

"But what about you?"

"I'll be fine. I'm a big boy, remember? I can look after myself."

"With no magic?"

"It won't be a problem, Arthur. Now please, hurry on so I don't have to wait here for too long."

"Alright, fine, I'll go on ahead. I just hope you work out how to reverse this, Merlin. I don't want to have to hide this forever."

"I promise, Arthur, I will find a way."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow then."

With that, he walked off.

Merlin waited about half an hour to be sure that Arthur was nowhere in the vicinity before he looked towards the sky and shouted, "Kilgarrah! I need your advice."

High overhead, there came the flapping of wings. Merlin watched in anticipation as the silhouette of the Great Dragon appeared overhead. His heart leapt into his mouth as it turned towards Camelot and flew off.

"Oh, no... no... Kilgarrah! Down here! Kilgarrah!"

But the Great Dragon made no hint that it had heard him. Merlin broke into a run, following him as fast as he could towards Camelot.

High, high above him, Kilgarrah frowned. From the scent of his magic, Merlin seemed to be moving. Usually he waited for him. There was only one possible explanation; Merlin was in danger. He redoubled his efforts and sped towards the castle. Merlin had quite a lead on him, but he'd make it up.

About half an hour later, high up in his bedroom, Arthur stripped and slid into bed. He'd just arrived and he was glad of the fine linens that surrounded him welcomingly. It was warm, dry and comforting to be back. He sniffed at the pillow and smelled Merlin on it. He smiled and cuddled up to it, trying to figure out the events of the day. He'd almost fallen asleep when he was woken again by a sudden commotion outside and the alarm bell starting to toll.

He got to his feet and reached the window, throwing it open to see what was going on. His eyes widened in horror as the figure of the Great Dragon loomed up in the distance, coming directly towards him. He dashed to the far wall, retrieved his sword and just got to the window as Kilgarrah fell into a hover outside. They both stared at one another, speechless, as their gazes met.

"You're not Merlin!" growled Kilgarrah. "Where is he, Arthur Pendragon? How did you get his magic? Tell me!"

Arthur was speechless. His mouth opened and closed as Kilgarrah glared at him. A deep rumble began deep inside Kilgarrah's chest and he snorted impatiently.

"Tell me!"

"He... I don't know where he is!" exclaimed Arthur. "We...we had an accident! I have his powers now. I left him in the meadow. He said he was going to sort out the problem."

Kilgarrah subsided a little as the arrows began to fly up around him from the courtyard below.

"Quickly, then," he growled. "Get on my back. We must find him."

"Are you crazy?"

"Don't argue with me, Arthur Pendragon!" growled Kilgarrah. "You know where you left him, I don't Get on my back, now! There is little time."

Arthur hesitated for a moment, then climbed up onto the window frame as Kilgarrah turned sideways. He made the leap up onto his back and held on tightly as the Great Dragon soared up into the sky.

"Why?" yelled Arthur over the noise of the wind howling past as Kilgarrah scanned the fields below.

"You will die if this cannot be undone," rumbled Kilgarrah. "Merlin was born with magic, he is a being of the old religion. You have had no time to grow into the magic you are containing. It will kill you if it lingers too long."

In a voice, much, much louder he bellowed, "Dragon Lord! Where are you?"

Merlin heard him on the third bellow. He'd stopped running when Kilgarrah had passed out of sight and lit a fire. Now that he saw the dragon coming back, he scrambled around in the bushes, grabbing up an armful of red shrubbery.

Returning to the fire, he threw it on and watched as the flames changed colour from orange to blue, sending sparks flying upwards. If there was a sign that Kilgarrah would see, this would be it. Sure enough, the Great Dragon began to descend towards him. He stared up in amazement as he saw the extra figure on his back.

As Kilgarrah landed heavily, Arthur rolled off his back and ran towards him.

"What-? How-? You just had to make an entrance, didn't you!" he exclaimed as Arthur pulled him into a tight hug. "You couldn't have just walked back or rode out like a normal Prince! You had to ride my dragon, didn't you!"

"Hey, I'm Prince Arthur," replied Arthur, beaming. "What did you expect?"

Merlin shrugged and turned to Kilgarrah. He rolled his eyes at the Great Dragon, who seemed to smirk in return.

"What happened to you?" he asked. "I tried to call you down, but you wouldn't come."

"Young Warlock, I follow your magic to locate you when you call me," replied Kilgarrah. "You call me mentally, but I follow your magic to find you. I wasn't listening for you. Imagine my surprise at what I found instead."

He told Merlin what had happened.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that with him," said Merlin.

"You should be, I got the shock of my life!" exclaimed Arthur.

"I wasn't talking to you," replied Merlin calmly. "Kilgarrah was kind enough to bring you here and get us together so he could reverse the magic switch again."

"Actually, I need to bring you both together to tell you how to reverse the magic switch for yourselves," he replied. "It's not something that I can do for you."

"Oh," replied Merlin, his smile fading. "So, what must we do?"

"You must do again whatever it was that aroused you to such a passion that you forgot yourself and allowed your magic to escape in the first place," replied Kilgarrah.

"Oh... is that all?"

"Yes," replied Kilgarrah. "Honestly, Merlin, I would have thought that you could have worked that out on your own. But you must act quickly. In a week, your magic will poison Arthur to such a degree that he will not survive."

"So, no pressure then? Thanks for telling me."

"You're welcome. And now, I must return to Aithusa. He's growing his first fangs and has wrecked the cave twice already."

"Give him my love," said Merlin as Kilgarrah stretched his wings.

"I will, Young Warlock, I will," he said as he stretched his wings. "Oh, and Merlin, there's just one other thing."

"Yes?"

"Please block the mental connection between us when you and Arthur are mating. It's boring for me to listen to 'Yes, yes, yes' for ages. If you can't, at least change your script."

Before Merlin could reply, Kilgarrah had leapt into the sky and was flying away at speed. Merlin turned to Arthur, his cheeks beetroot red.

"Somehow that's just wrong," said Arthur when Merlin didn't say anything else.

The sun dawned the next day to a city holding its breath. Everywhere Merlin went there was talk of the Great Dragon's visit the previous night. It seemed that everyone had seen it. Thankfully, against the dark night sky, nobody had seen Arthur jump onto its back.

Merlin, for his part, claimed to have slept right through it, as did Arthur. He acted as surprised as he could have done when Uther mentioned it had been at his window last night. All in all, aside from extra guards posted around the place, it could have been worse.

Merlin walked back from the town with Gaius' supplies, dropped them off in his quarters, and then went to find Arthur. When he arrived in his bedroom, he found Arthur leaning over his bed without a stitch on.

"It's almost mid morning. You're not dressed yet."

"I was waiting for you to come and cure me."

"Oh."

Merlin closed the door behind him,

"So, come and cure me already."

"Arthur, I don't know how to tell you this, but you performed so well last night that you kind of wiped out of me any ability to cure you for a few days yet."

Arthur rolled over and stared at him.

"So my luscious body doesn't do anything for you?"

Merlin didn't answer immediately. He tried to fight back a grin in the face of the latest Princely huff.

"Of course it does, but not right at this moment."

He knocked aside the pillow that Arthur threw at him.

"Damn it, Merlin! I am the Prince of Camelot and you are my manservant! I order you to take me!"

At this, Merlin did laugh. "Arthur, I would if I could, but I'm just not able to right now. You have a week. I'm sure I can manage it within a week."

Arthur glared at him.

"Merlin, if you don't take me right now I swear that I will put you in the stocks."

"Wow! That's your sweet talk? I like it," teased Merlin.

Arthur, however, was not impressed. He stood up and began dressing. Once he had finished, he grabbed Merlin by the arm and marched him straight down to the town square. He didn't stop until Merlin had his head and arms trapped for the enjoyment of the crowd.

Merlin glared at him as he leaned down and whispered, "You can stay there until you're ready to think about having sex with me."

Then he went, striding off in a fury. Merlin was livid. Had he still had his powers, he would have conjured his way out of the stocks and gone after him, but he couldn't. He was trapped. He was just brooding on this fact when the first tomato hit him in the face.

It was the middle of the day when Gaius found him, dripping with rotten eggs, hot and angry.

"Merlin?"

"Hi."

"What's this about?"

Merlin told him.

"Merlin, surely Arthur understands basic anatomy."

"Perhaps you could teach him it," snapped Merlin. "Starting with sticking a sharp sword up that spoiled backside of his!"

"Do you think it would make him happy?"

"It would make me happy."

Gaius sighed. "I'll see what I can do. There has to be another way to get your magic out of him."

"I do wish he'd be reasonable though!"

"He's never been reasonable in his life when he thinks he's being thwarted. He'll come around, don't worry. He won't leave you here for long."

"I swear, Gaius, if I still feel like this when I get my magic back..."

"I doubt that you will."

"He'd better watch his Princely backside, that's all."

"I have to be going. Uther wants me for something or other. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, thanks, Gaius. See you later."

Arthur entered the vaults and unlocked the furthest door. He lit the wall torches as he entered the room beyond and closed the door behind him. He looked around. Pile upon pile of magical artefacts lined the shelves, the spoils of Uther's Great Purge.

He headed towards the shelves full of spell books and ran a finger along them until he found one that looked promising. He took it down and thumbed through it. After a while, he found what he was looking for, read the spell several times to memorise it, then replaced the book and left, leaving no trace that he had ever been there.

He let Merlin out of the stocks at sundown and they walked together in icy silence back up to the castle. Merlin drew Arthur's bath without acknowledging him, undid the cords of his clothes without a word and turned his back on him as he stripped and got in.

"Merlin-"

"-Don't say a word to me."

"I'm sorry."

Merlin turned to him and raised an eyebrow.

"You need a bath. Come and join me."

Annoyed at Arthur, Merlin just stood there, though he eyed the steaming water with poorly-hidden desire.

"Gaius made me some new bath oil... cinnamon and cedar wood," he said, tapping a nearby jug. "It's your favourite... I'll put some in, just for you. Please?"

After pouring some of the oil into the water, Arthur rolled over and stretched out in the bath so that his rounded bottom poked out just above the surface of the water like two, perfectly-formed islands.

"Please?" he asked again, smiling. "You know that you want to."

Merlin huffed and began to get undressed. He plonked himself ungracefully into the water and stretched out, leaning against Arthur in spite of himself. Arthur edged over to make room and to avoid being elbowed in the ribs.

"If you want to make it up to me, you can wash me," Merlin said to the edge of the bath. "It's your fault I got this dirty in the first place."

Arthur sat up, picked up a cloth without arguing, sat Merlin up and began to wash him down. At some point, Merlin seemed to decide that he had given Arthur enough grief because he relaxed as Arthur washed his hair and started to massage the aches out of his neck and shoulders.

Arthur's strong hands were good for this kind of thing, Merlin reflected. He may be an arrogant, even insufferable idiot at times, but at least he was his insufferable idiot.

"Can I show you something?"

Merlin turned his head, looked down and grinned.

"I don't think there's much more that you can show me, is there?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised, Merlin. I learned something new today; something magic. I think you would like it."

Merlin smiled and cocked his head, intrigue getting the better of his temper.

"I didn't think there was any space left in that arrogant, know-it-all head of yours to learn something new. How did you manage it?"

"With great difficulty."

Merlin smiled thinly. "Well, let's see what you learned. I wouldn't want to miss a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Arthur pointed a finger at him and spoke the spell that he'd read in the book. Merlin stiffened slightly, then relaxed again. A soft expression had come over his face and he slid closer to Arthur, stroking his head as he planted a deep kiss on his lover's lips.

Arthur reached around him and, in the heat of the water, embraced him tightly. Their lips locked and Merlin groaned as Arthur's tongue flicked around the inside rim of his lips. He reached down as Arthur spread his legs apart and guided Arthur towards where he suddenly desperately wanted him to be.

There was a moment of blissful tightness as Arthur felt Merlin push down onto him, then he popped fully inside. Merlin pushed him against the edge of the bathtub, braced himself, and started to ride him.

"Gee up, Prince," he murmured, clipping Arthur gently around the back of his head.

Arthur laughed as he took Merlin's hips in his hands and started to pound into him. It felt amazing. He closed his eyes, opened his mouth and groaned as Merlin slid his hands over his body. When he found his nipples and pinched them, Arthur went crazy.

Merlin looked down on him and rode him purposefully. Arthur's eyes had started to glow. Merlin wanted his magic back, now. Not later. Now. He worked even harder as his Prince began to thrash about beneath him. He was getting close, but Arthur seemed quite a way off yet. He had a habit of hanging on.

"Come, here!" he commanded, grabbing the back of Arthur's head to bring him up into a deep kiss.

Arthur was caught by surprise by the sudden demand and kiss and opened his eyes. As he did so, the room erupted in a light show as the magic flew from him and back into Merlin's eyes. Merlin blinked a few times, then gasped and bucked hard as he climaxed.

Arthur laughed as Merlin fell against him, exhausted. He stroked his hand through his hair and kissed the side of his neck softly. After a time, Merlin got out of the bath and looked around himself in a daze, then back to his Prince.

"It worked then?" asked Arthur.

"What worked?"

"My spell. You have your magic back."

Merlin pointed a finger experimentally at a chair. It walked over to him on command and he sat down, wet and dripping.

"It seems so," he replied, grinning.

"So, are we going to celebrate?"

"Oh yes," replied Merlin, his voice taking on a darker note. "Yes, I am."

Arthur began to look worried as Merlin turned away from him and summoned a pair of soft gloves to him.

"Merlin, what are you doing?"

"Since you've acquired a taste for learning and casting spells today, Arthur," he replied as he weaved his hands around the gloves that hovered in mid air above him, causing them to glow faintly, "I'm going to show you one of my own. One which, incidentally, came out of the same spell book as the one that you thought you cast on me a moment ago."

Arthur swallowed, his mouth going dry as he stood up, got out of the bath and backed slowly away. He had glanced at some of the other spells in there and was very nervous about some of them.

"What are you going to do?"

Merlin snapped his fingers and, in a flash, the town stocks appeared at the foot of Arthur's bed. Arthur went pale.

"No... no, please, Merlin. No. Don't put me in the stocks."

Merlin ignored him as he finished enchanting the gloves.

"Seize him," he said softly.

Before Arthur had gone more than a few steps, the gloves grabbed him and pulled him over to the stocks that Merlin held open. As they pushed him into it, Merlin closed them and magically sealed the top block. He looked down at Arthur's panicked face.

"Since you like the stocks and you told me that I wouldn't get out of them until we had sex, I have fulfilled my end of the bargain, so now it is your turn. Arthur, you won't get out of these until I feel that you have been given all that you could possibly want in the sex department."

Merlin turned and walked to the door.

"Hey! Where are you going? I thought you said that there would be sex involved in this."

"Oh, I'm just going to get myself a meal, then I will be back to see how you and the gloves are getting on. If you're lucky, I'll only be gone an hour or so."

"What do you mean?"

Merlin smiled and his eyes flashed. The gloves shot downwards and Arthur groaned as they began to stroke him firmly.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," added Merlin as he was about to open the door. "They're enchanted to stop and wait whenever you come close. Enjoy yourself."

With that he stepped out of the room, leaving Arthur to the torment of Merlin's gift.

The sun rose the next day and Merlin stepped happily from Arthur's room feeling very pleased with himself. Arthur had apologised fully for his behaviour on the previous day and had taken his punishment like a man. He'd been amazingly quiet that morning, once the gloves had been called off. He'd even made Merlin breakfast. Merlin wasn't so sure that he wanted him to do it again, but it was a kind gesture.

"Arthur, come on!" called Merlin. "You'll be late for your joust."

Arthur emerged slowly. He walked as if his groin ached, which, Merlin thought, it probably did after his fourteen hours of torment while he – Merlin - had been cosily asleep in Arthur's bed. He'd woken to find Arthur a begging, pleading, sweating, sexually frustrated Prince who said he would do anything, anything at all, if Merlin would just let him climax and call off the gloves. Please, I beg you.

Merlin had given his Prince his wish with a word and a finger stroke in a very sensitive place. The ensuing mess that was created by his action had taken Arthur a little while to clean up once he'd been released, but it had left him very calm and thankful.

"Come on, hurry up!" he exclaimed, smiling. "You're going to be late."

"I want to sleep."

"There will be plenty of time for that later," replied Merlin, taking Arthur by the arm and kissing him gently.

"I'm exhausted."

"I'm not surprised. Will you ever demand sex of me and sling me in the stocks if I don't want to again?"

"Never. Not as long as I live. I will ask you and respect you if you don't want to."

"Like the good little Prince you are?"

"Like the good little Prince I am."

"Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"I do still love you. You know that, right?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now, let's be going. It'll be over before you know it and then I'll bring you a nice hot meal and tuck you in for a midday snooze. How does that sound?"

"Fantastic."

"Good."

Arthur walked shakily beside Merlin down the corridor and around the corner at the end, vowing to himself that he would never, ever be so rash with their sex life ever, ever again. Inside his bedroom, the gloves twitched impatiently. They'd be ready for him the next time he did such a thing. Merlin had told him so.

**The End**

15


End file.
